This invention relates to a water-going vessel selectively operable as both a water-displacement vessel with its underside beneath the water line and also as an above-water vessel with its underside above the water line.
Present day water-going vessels can be generally classified into three types in relation to their respective principles of operation. One such type is the hover craft which depends on a lifting force (much the same as a helicopter) and a horizontal driving force. In reality, then, a hover craft in operation is not a water-going vessel, per se, since it finds utility above the water line. The second type of vessel is the hydrofoil craft which operates on a principle much the same as an airplane in that foils disposed below the water line depend on reactive forces of the water as the foil travels through said water to create pressure differentials above and below the foil and achieve lift of the craft. The third type of vessel, and the most common, is the displacement vessel. A displacement vessel displaces a greater mass of water than its own mass, and therefore remains afloat in the water. One or more rotating propellers disposed beneath the water line drive the vessel, while a controllable rudder determines vessel direction.
Both the hover craft and the hydrofoil craft can achieve relatively high velocities, but are not efficient or practical for high load capacities found in displacement vessels. Conversely, while displacement vessels can be sized for high load capacities, such vessels can attain only relatively low velocities. It is readily apparent, therefore, that a need exists for a high load capacity water-going vessel which can also efficiently attain relatively high velocities and provide effective transporation for both passengers and cargo. Such a vessel is the subject of the instant invention.